Suction cleaning apparatus



Feb. 25, 1947. c. 1H. TAYLOR 2,4

SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS Filed March 31, 1944 2 sheets shee t 1wmuzsszs: 7 FIG. 7 I INVENTOR v Char/6:5 H. Fay/0r C: H I y BY A ORNEYC. H. TAYLOR SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS Feb 25, 1947.

Filed March 51; 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 INVENTOR Cfiar/es Ii Ivy/or BY IATTORNEY Patented Feb. 25,

SUCTION CLEANING APPARATU S Charles H. '1aylor, Springfield, Mass,assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania Application March 31; 1944, Serial No.528,816

This invention relates to a suction cleaner of the type provided with arevolving brush roll adapted to act on the surface bein cleaned.

One object of the invention is to produce an improved cleaner of thetype set forth.

A further object is to produce an improved Claims. '(ol. --8) brush rollmounting whereby the brush roll exerts a yielding pressure against thesurface being cleaned.

A still further object is to produce an improved adjustable brush rollmounting whereby the pressure exerted by the brush roll may be varied.

A still further object is to produce improved means whereby the brushroll may be raised from, or lowered into contact with the surface beingcleaned, without affecting the setting of the pressure adjustment of thebrush roll.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparentfrom the following description and claims taken in accordance with theaccompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view, partly in vertical section and partly in sideelevation ofa suction cleaner embodying my invention, certain partsbeing omitted;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of the rlghthand portion of Fig. 1; A i

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the brush roll raised out ofcontact with the surface being cleaned;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section on line V-V of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the brush rollmounting; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of another part of the brush rollmounting.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings there is shown a suction cleaner including acasing I!) supported by front and rear wheels l2 and provided with asuction nozzle l3 having a bottom mouth or opening l4.. The cleaner ismoved about by means of a propelling handle 16 pivoted at l8, and isprovided with the usual revolving brush roll 20 disposed in the nozzle14. The fan motor unit, the filter bag and such other parts as are notshown or described are all conventional and form no part of thisinvention.

In order to mount the brush roll 20 according to my invention, I providea mounting bracket 22 which is clearly shown in Fig. 6 and whichincludes an elongated body portion 24, end walls 26 and an arm orextension 28. The body portion 24 is cut out at 30 to lighten theconstruction.

The mounting bracket 22 is disposed within the nozzle l8 and is pivotedat 32 to the opposite side walls 84 of the cleaner casing H) (see Fig.4) The end walls 26 are provided with-notches 36 which receive theopposite ends of the shaft 38 of the brush roll 20. The brush roll isremovably held in position with reference to the bracket 22, by

a pair of latches 48, pivoted at 42 to the opposite end plates 26 of thebracket22, and biased upwardly by a pair of springs 44 secured to theend plates 26, at 4-6. When it is desired to install or remove the brushroll, the latches 40 are rotated counterclockwise until they clear theopenings 86.

In order to cause the brush roll to contact the surface being cleanedwith a predetermined yielding pressure, the arm or extension 28 of thebracket 22 is biased'upwardly by a compression spring jections 58prevent shifting of the spring 48. The

spring is attached at its upper end, as at 68, to 1 the upper rear endof the arm .28 and is secured at its lower end to the lower end of anadjustin arm 62. The strength of the spring 48 is such that, in theabsence of any tension by the spring 50, the spring 48 will balance theweight of the brush roll 20 and bracket 22 and will raise the brush rollout of contact with the surface being cleaned. Conversely, the strengthof the spring 58 is such that when it is tensioned, it furthercompresses the spring 48 and moves the brush roll downwardly intocontact with the surface being cleaned. The arm 62 is provided with aslot 64 which slidably engages a pin 66 which is threaded or otherwisesecured in an opening 61 in a. fixed supporting bracket 68. Thesupporting bracket 68 includes a vertically disposed body portion 10 anda horizontal portion I2 which carries or forms a rest for the abutment54 above mentioned. The body portion 18 is providedwith a flange .14which is adapted to engage any one of three notches 'Hi'formed in thejuxtaposed side of the adjustment arm 62. The supporting bracket 68 issecured to a suitable portion of the frame" of the cleaner by screws-orthe like 18, engaging apertured lugs'88. The lugs 88 and the flange I4are preferably struck out from the body portion 18 of the bracket 68, asbest shown in Fig. 'l. The upper end of the adjustment arm 62 extendsthrough an opening 82 in an upper wall of the cleaner casing.

With the parts adjusted as shown in Fig. 1, the

- 3 numeral 2 on the arm of the opening 82 or some'other suitable index,and the middle notch 16 on the arm 62 engages the flange 14 of thesupporting bracket 68. This represents the medium position of the brushroll 20. In this position, the spring 50 is somewhat stretched, so thatit exerts a corresponding downward pull. The downward pull of the spring50 and the weight of the brush roll 20 and the bracket 22 are suflicientto overcome the force I of the spring 48 to lower the'brush roll 20 intocontact with the surface to be cleaned. This surface, such as a carpet,rug, or the like, resists I the downward movement of the brush roll sothat the brush roll noW exerts a yielding pressure against such surface.The pressure thus exerted weight of the brush roll 20 andbracket 22 andthe downward force of the springv 59-on one hand and the upward force ofthe spring 48 on the other. If the arm 62 is raised so that thebottomflange 14, as in Fig. 2 the pressure of the brush roll 20 against thecarpet is increased.

It will be noted that the spring 50 is so disposed as to urge the upperend of the arm 92 in counter- 1 clockwise direction in which one of thenotches 16 will engage the flange 14. To disengage the arm I l 62, theupper end thereof is moved in clockwise direction against the action ofthe spring 50.

While three notches 16 are shown to represent low, medium and high brushpressure, other intermediate points of adjustment may be provided.

It will thus be seen that by this construction the brush roll 20contacts the surface being cleaned yieldingly and with a pressure havinga, predeter- It will also be seen that this prement arm 62.

In order to prevent damage to the surface being cleaned by the prolongedrapid rotation of the 1 brush roll on one spot of such surface, as wheni the cleaner is left unattended, or when the cleaner is converted fromfloor nozzle to attachment hose cleaning, it is desirable to providemeans for raising and maintaining the brush roll entirely out of contactwith the surface, and for lowering the brush into its surface-contactingposition when the cleaner is returned to normal use. It

j is also desirable that the raising and lowering of l the brush roll.be accomplished without affecting the brush roll pressure adjustment sothat, when the cleaner is returned to floor nozzle cleaning,

62 registers with the edge is determined by the difference between theclaims.

to the position shown in Fig. 3 in which the brush roll 20 is raised outof contact with the surface on which the cleaner rests. It will be notedthat the raising of the brush roll is accomplished without changing thesetting of the adjustment arm 92 so that, when the handle. I6 is againlowered into its normal range of operation the brush roll will resumeits initial position. This will be clearly seen from Figs. 2 and 3 inboth of which the top notch 16 of the adjustment arm 62'engages theflange 14 of the supporting bracket 68.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various changes and modifications without departing from thesplrlt'thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitationsshall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appendedWhat I claim is: Y

1. The combination with a sulction cleaner including a nozzle having adownwardly facing mouth and a rotary brush roll disposed in said nozzleabove said mouth and adapted to act upon a surface to be cleaned, ofmeans for causing said brush rollto contact said surface with apredetermined yielding pressure including a first spring normallybiasing said brushroll upwardly with a force suflicient to counteractthe weight thereof, a second spring adapted to bias said brush rolldownwardly, and adjusting means for varying the biasing action of saidsecond spring to vary the yielding pressure of said brush on saidsurface, a handle movable within a predetermined range for propellingthe cleaner over the surface to be cleaned, and means operable bymovement of said handle from said range of movement to a substantiallyvertical position for raising said brush roll relative to the mouth ofthe nozzle and out of contact with the surface being cleaned, and forreturning the brush roll into contact with the surface being cleanedwhen said handle is returned to said range.

2. A suction cleaner comprising a suction nozzle having a downwardlyfacing mouth, a brush roll mounting bracket extending. longitudinally ofsaid nozzle, means pivotally securing the front end of said bracket tosaid nozzle, a brush roll carried by said bracket above said mouth andthe brush roll will exert the same degree of presat 90 to the front endof a link 92. The rear end of the link 92 is provided with a 'slot 94which slidably engages a pin 96 carried by an extension I00 of thehandle l5.

When the'handle I6 is moved within its normal range of operation the pin96 slides back and forth in the slot 94. When the handle I 6 is moved toa vertical position, the pin 96 engages the rear end of the slot 94 andpulls the link 92 to the left. This results in moving the abutment 54upwardly adapted to act on a surface to be cleaned, an arm extendingrearwardly from said bracket, a compression spring normally-biasing saidarm upwardly to raise said bracket and said brush roll away from saidsurface, a tension spring secured to and adapted, when tensioned, toexert a downward pull on said arm to cause said brush roll to contactsaid surface with a yielding pressure, and adjusting means for varyingthe force of said tension spring to vary the pressure of said brush rollon said surface.

3. The structure recited in claim 2 together with a handle movablewithin a predetermined range for propelling said surface, and a leveroperatively connected to said am and said handle, saidlever and saidsprings being so constructed and arranged that, when said handle ismoved from said range of movement to a substantially vertical position,said lever raises said bracket and takes said brush rollout of contactwith said surface, and when said handle is returned to said range ofmovement said bracket is lowered and said brush roll automaticallycontacts said surface with the same'pressure it exerted before saidhandle was raised to said vertical position.

4. The combination with a suction cleaner insaid brush roll to contactsaid surface with a pre- 1 determined yielding pressure including afirst spring normally biasing said brush roll upwardly with a forcesufiicient to counteract the weight thereof, a second spring adapted tobias said brush roll downwardly, adjusting means for varying the biasingaction of said second spring to vary the yielding pressure of said brushon said surface,.said adjusting means including a movable memberconnected to one end of said second spring and so arranged that movementof said member in one direction will increase the downward biasingaction of said second spring, and a stop engageable with said movablemember for locking said movable member in any position to which it ismoved, said movable member and said second spring being so arranged thatsaid second spring biases said movable member into engagement with saidstop.

5. The combination with a suction cleaner including a nozzle having a.downwardly facing mouth and a rotary brush roll disposed in said nozzleabove said mouth and adapted to act upon a surface to be cleaned, ofmeans for causing said brush roll to contact said surface with apredetermined yielding pressure including a first spring normallybiasing said brush roll upwardly with a force suflicient to counteractthe weight thereof, a second spring adapted to bias said brush rolldownwardly, and adjusting means for varying the biasing action of saidsecond spring to vary the yielding pressure of said brush on saidsurface, means for retaining said adjusting means in any adjustedposition including a stop, and graduated means carried by said adjustingmeans and engageable with said stop, said adjusting means and secondspring being so arranged that said second spring biases said adjustingmeans in a direction to cause said graduated means to engage said stop.

CHARLES H, TAYLOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 1,678,111 Frantz July 24, 19281,642,518 'I'hroop Sept. 13, 1927 2,329,563 Taylor Sept. 14, 19431,349,765 Hoover Aug. 17, 1920 233,596 Bissell Oct. 26, 1880 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country. Date 186,804 British 1922

